CHAPTER 4: THE FIRST MOVE IN A SILENT WAR

The Liora estate was no longer the grand domain it once was. The gardens were overgrown, the eastern wing had fallen into disrepair, and the noble families that once visited in droves now treated it like a ghost of the past.

But today, something had changed.

Elise hurried into Seraphina's study, breathless. "My lady, three more merchants have sent word—they're willing to negotiate terms with you."

Seraphina, seated behind the mahogany desk, didn't look up from the letter she was reading. A faint smile touched her lips. "Good. It seems word is spreading faster than expected."

Her earlier meeting with the nobles had been a gamble, but it had paid off. Some doubted her, but others saw opportunity. And when opportunity whispered, greed always followed.

"Prepare the contracts," she instructed, neatly folding the parchment before her. "We will need favorable trade terms. If they hesitate, remind them that House Liora once held the most secure shipping routes to the western kingdoms. We may have lost our power, but our knowledge is irreplaceable."

Elise hesitated. "Do you think… they will betray you, my lady?"

Seraphina finally looked up, her violet eyes sharp as steel. "Of course they will."

Elise's mouth parted slightly, startled by the casual certainty in her mistress's tone.

"Power is fleeting. Loyalty is fickle," Seraphina continued, standing gracefully. "But debts… debts can be collected."

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A Meeting in the Dead of Night

A heavy fog clung to the streets of the capital as Seraphina, dressed in a dark cloak, slipped into a modest tavern on the outskirts of the noble district.

The man she was meeting sat in the farthest corner, his hood pulled low over his face. A former steward of House Liora, now working for one of the royal accountants. He was not an ally—merely a man who had learned the art of self-preservation.

"My lady," he greeted with a slight bow. "You asked for information."

Seraphina slid a pouch of gold across the table. "Tell me about the decree that destroyed House Liora."

The man hesitated, fingers brushing against the leather pouch before nodding. "The official reason was failure to fulfill an obligation during the war. But unofficially…" He lowered his voice. "There were whispers that House Liora had become too influential in the royal court. That the king feared your father's sway over the council."

Seraphina's fingers curled slightly. Fear? The king feared House Liora?

"That makes little sense," she said, voice steady. "We have always served the crown faithfully."

The man gave a dry chuckle. "And that was your family's mistake, my lady. A wise man once told me—'A king trusts his sword, not his council.' House Liora had neither swords nor armies, only its words." He met her gaze. "And words are dangerous."

Seraphina leaned back, considering his words. If the king saw her family as a threat, then was he the one who orchestrated their fall?

Or was there someone whispering in his ear?

She slid another coin across the table. "And Duke Everhart?"

The man stiffened.

Seraphina caught it instantly. "He was there that night, wasn't he?"

A long silence. Then, finally, the steward sighed. "Yes. He was in the king's court when the decree was issued. But what role he played… I do not know."

Seraphina studied him, searching for lies. But his fear was real. Duke Everhart's name alone was enough to make men uneasy.

She nodded. "That will be all."

As she left the tavern, a cold wind swept through the streets. Duke Everhart was a mystery, but one thing was certain—he was not just another noble.

He was a piece on this chessboard. And she needed to find out whose side he was on.

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